‘Smallville’ Star Tom Welling (49) Cracks a Cheeky Joke About His Viral Hotel Window Moment, and Michael Rosenbaum Brings the Boxers

Few reunions in television history have lasted as long in fans’ hearts as the ‘Smallville’ cast’s, and this year gave them a special reason to celebrate. The superhero drama that made Clark Kent a household name for a new generation is marking a major anniversary, and its stars have been out in force. But one unscripted moment has now overshadowed the nostalgia, and the actors are laughing about it.

‘Smallville’ premiered on October 16, 2001, and ran for ten seasons, with Tom Welling playing Clark Kent throughout. Its pilot became the highest-rated debut in The WB’s history. Welling and co-star Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor, have kept the show alive with their rewatch podcast, ‘Talkville,’ which launched in July 2022.

This week, the celebration moved to New York Comic Con, which ran from October 8 through October 11 at the Javits Center. A Saturday panel titled “The Road to Superman: 25 Years of Smallville” reunited Welling with Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk and Erica Durance. Ahead of that panel, however, Welling went viral for a very different reason.

On October 10, the 49-year-old actor posted an Instagram Story of the New York City skyline from his hotel room, captioned with a greeting to the convention. Fans quickly noticed that his reflection was visible in the window, and it was revealing enough that his name began trending. The story reportedly stayed up for roughly 10 hours before he deleted it.

Screenshots had already spread by then, racking up millions of combined views on social media. As is often the case with a viral slip, the internet moved fast, and the jokes arrived before any explanation did.

Welling didn’t hide from the attention. He left a playful comment on an Instagram Reel that joked about a tourist in New York spotting him standing at his hotel window on October 10. His reply, a quip suggesting he had only come for the sights, picked up more than 35,000 likes by Sunday afternoon.

It was a smart way to handle the moment. Rather than issuing a statement or staying silent, he leaned into the humor and let the joke belong to him. That lighthearted approach has been widely praised in the comments.

Of course, Rosenbaum couldn’t resist. The actor recreated the hotel window photo on his own Instagram Stories, wearing a T-shirt and boxers while holding a small sign reading “perverts” over his lower body. He wrote that he was just looking after his friend.

Welling took it in stride and reshared the post on his own Stories. The exchange is exactly the kind of banter fans have enjoyed on ‘Talkville,’ where the two actors trade jokes about their years on the show. It also shows how close the friendship remains after more than two decades.

The viral moment hasn’t derailed the anniversary celebrations. At the NYCC panel, Welling also recalled another embarrassing photo incident from the show’s filming days, which kept the theme going. The anecdote fit neatly into an event full of behind-the-scenes stories.

Welling had also discussed his decade on television during an anniversary conversation with former co-stars on Rosenbaum’s ‘Inside of You’ podcast on October 9. For many fans, the whole week has been a reminder of why this cast is still so beloved. The humor, the history and the willingness to laugh at themselves are all part of the appeal.

Viral moments usually come with embarrassment, but this one has turned into another chapter in a long-running friendship. The reaction from both actors shows how well they know each other and their audience. It also gave a quarter-century-old show some fresh attention during its biggest milestone in years.

Whatever else comes from the anniversary, fans got a reminder that Clark Kent and Lex Luthor are still the best of friends.

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